Rate My Professor Sarah Davies

Davies specializes in ecological and evolutionary genomics, symbiosis, ecophysiology, and marine biology, investigating mechanisms of acclimation, adaptation, and dispersal in reef-building corals and their algal symbionts amid climate change. Her work integrates field experiments, environmental monitoring, physiological assays, and large-scale genomic and transcriptomic analyses to explore symbiosis dynamics, immune regulation, genetic diversity, thermal tolerance, and implications for coral conservation and restoration. A core member of the Genetics Working Group of the Coral Restoration Consortium, she holds grants from the National Science Foundation and NOAA, along with awards such as the National Academy of Sciences Gulf Research Program Early-Career Fellowship and the 2025 Simons Foundation Pivot Fellowship. Key publications include "Genomic determinants of coral heat tolerance across latitudes" (Science, 2015), "Considerations for maximizing the adaptive potential of restored coral populations in the western Atlantic" (Ecological Applications, 2019), "Promoting inclusive metrics of success and impact to dismantle a discriminatory reward system in science" (PLoS Biology, 2021), "A framework for understanding gene expression plasticity and its influence on stress tolerance" (Molecular Ecology, 2021), and "The fourth global coral bleaching event: where do we go from here?" (Coral Reefs, 2024).